Old Cahawba is Alabama's most famous ghost town. In 1819 the town was carved out of the wilderness to be the state's first capital. Although the state changed the location of the capital in 1826, Cahawba continued to grow into a thriving and wealthy river town.

For a short time after the Civil War Cahawba attracted emancipated African Americans seeking new freedoms and politial power. By 1870, however, the population diminished to 300. By the turn of the century most of Cahawba's buildings were lost to fire, decay, or dismantlement.